The present disclosure generally relates to support shelving for fiber optic hardware and, more particularly, to support shelving allowing adapter panels including adapter panels which are part of fiber optic modules or cassettes, to be rapidly installed in a plurality of locations.
Cable management arrangements for cable termination, cable splice, and storage may come in a variety of forms. For example, one type of cable management arrangement often used in the telecommunications industry includes sliding support shelves or drawers installed in a telecommunication equipment rack or wall mounted housing. The support shelves provide ease of access for organized storage of equipment such as switching elements, cross-connecting and inter-connecting elements and a variety of devices that are used in telecommunication infrastructures.
Much of the fiber optic hardware found in these cable management arrangements typically makes use of fiber optic adapters fixed in panels or modules. The adapter panels facilitate the connection of one hardware element to another. Oftentimes, the adapter panels are mounted near the front of the sliding support shelf, or may even be flush with the front of the sliding support shelf. Mounting the adapter panel as such may generally be done for easing access to the adapter panel, convenient access for changing connections of hardware elements with the adapter panel, or facilitating a quick visual inspection of the hardware elements. In contrast, adapter panels may be mounted so to be recessed on the sliding support shelf and within the housing to provide security, adequate protection of the adapter panel from the environment as well as personnel, and to allow space for installation of secondary components, such as attenuators. Furthermore, with the adapter panel mounted in the recessed configuration on the sliding support shelf, it may be less likely that an optical fiber connection will be bent or flexed to cause attenuation of a signal.